1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relations to an image recording device that image-processes print data in accordance with an output instruction for the print data, generates an output image, and outputs the output image in accordance with output conditions of the output instruction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Color and black-and-white printers including a single cassette or multiple cassettes have been proposed as image recording devices that image-process print data in accordance with an output instruction for the print data, generate an output image, and output the output image in accordance with output conditions of the output instruction.
In these types of printers, when an electronic document is to be outputted as an image, it is possible to designate output conditions, such as the resolution, paper type, and number of output copies of the electronic document.
When the output conditions are determined by a user in correspondence to purpose and content of the electronic document, the output conditions are identified as a print job, printer settings are altered in accordance with the print job, and the printer image-processes and outputs the print data of the electronic document to match the output conditions.
It is also possible to set the output conditions by the print job, and one output condition can be set in one print job.
For example, in a case where pages containing only photographs and pages containing only text are both present in an electronic document to be outputted, and the pages containing only photographs are to be color printed on glossy paper and the pages containing only text are to be printed in black and white on high-quality standard paper, the pages containing only photographs are grouped together to create a print job, the pages containing only text are grouped together to create another print job, and the electronic document is divided into two print jobs and outputted.
When a single electronic document consisting of several pages is to be bound as a book, a cover is color printed using thick coated paper or the like, inner pages are printed in black and white using high-quality standard paper, and center-stitched portions of the photographs and the like are color printed using glossy paper, and when the pages are to be outputted under conditions that differ per page, pages that are to be outputted under the same conditions are grouped together into one print job and the electronic document is outputted as several print jobs.
However, when a single electronic document is divided into several print jobs and outputted, it has been necessary to instruct output several times. Further, when the output is to be bound as a book, it has been necessary to bind the book after reconstructing the single electronic document by sorting the outputted disorderly electronic document, and it has been necessary to divide the electronic document into many print jobs when the user does not wish to spend energy sorting the outputted electronic document.
Labor for instructing output several times and for reconstructing the electronic document costs energy and time, and is vexing and troublesome.
Further, there are frequently mistakes in reconstructing the electronic document.
Moreover, it has been necessary to create several print jobs again when there are output errors or when the electronic document is to be re-outputted, and management of the print jobs has been complicated.